Role of Sex Hormones in Metabolism and Immune System

In News

Researchers from Australia identified differences in the way the
immune system isacting in the body fat of male and female mice.

In-Detail

Australian researchers studied the visceral
adipose tissue (VAS), fat tissue in the mice.

The fat tissue is found in the abdominal region
around various organs and also includes perigonadal VAT which includes fat
tissuessurrounding the ovaries in females and testes in males.

The study showed an elevated expression of
inflammatory genes in the male VAT than in the female VAT.

The male VAT had a special population of stromal
cells which made the cytokine IL-33.

Many studies in the past considered VAT as an
energy storage organ and have endocrine functions.

In endocrine function, VAT secretes adipokines
and hormones that help in energy balance and metabolism

Controlling Immune Response by VAT

The study shows that the perigonadal VAT from
male mice had many regulatory T cells (Treg) than of female mice.

The Treg cells help in controlling the immune
response to the self and external cells.

The cells protect the body from autoimmune
diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

The Treg cells in the male mice showed a
distinct phenotype, functional parameter, and gene expression compared to
female cells.

The functioning of VAT in male mice and male
humans is almost similar.

Both are susceptible to metabolic disease like
type 2 diabetes than females.

In humans too, the inflammation of adipose
tissue is higher in men than in women.

The human adipose tissue (omental) harbours Treg
cells of a phenotype similar to that found in mice Treg cells.

The study
implies that the difference in the Treg cell distribution seen in VAT of males
and females mice may hold in humans.

Conclusion

The study implies that the way the trials are conducted with
animal models for research or disease will not hold equally good for male and
female. For example: when studying about
metabolism or immunity diseases, male mice are used. Tailoring drugs to gender
is a possibility in the future by conducting further research on the role of
sex hormones in autoimmune, metabolic and inflammatory diseases.